5.0 Buzz - May 2013

The latest rumblings in the Ford world

May 1, 2013

I was recently looking for a new daily. I tried the Camaro. I still can't understand what GM was thinking—it is hideous. The new Challenger is an overweight and underpowered piece of s*!t. The new Mustang was the best of them. I still can't get over the power-to-weight ratio.

I understand your article was hypothetical. Why make the new Mustang your "fast" car? I hope I don't come over as a a-hole, but all the raves about them, I just don't see it. To me, the new Mustangs are just daily drivers.

Kevin Daugherty
Via email

To each his own, Kevin. I certainly wouldn't plan on making a race car out of a brand-new 'Stang, as there are lighter, more suitable Foxes that are tailor-made for that duty. However, as the basis for a fast, fun street car, the lastest Mustangs are tough to beat. They are silky smooth, they readily take to bolt-on power increases, and they have all the creature comforts. You might not want to make one your fastest car, but there's nothing wrong with making one faster.

Decisions, Decisions

"Onward or Upward" (Bench Racer, Feb. '13, p. 15) really rang true for me. A few years ago I went through the upgrade cycle on my '96 GT convertible. That first-generation 4.6 tended to struggle a bit, and my last boost upgrade was too much for the stock rings. When that happened, I had some money saved up, and I had to make a tough choice. Do I abandon my beloved California car for something new or do I go over the top on my triple-black beauty?

I started shopping for a new car. I drove all kinds, and was really liking the new GT convertible. It's a beautiful car through-and-through, but the sticker at my local dealership was shocking—$42,000 for a convertible Mustang? This couldn't be true! I couldn't get over the sticker, and turned to my friend Kelly for help.

He pulled together all the parts, finding an '04 Cobra block that had been freshly built, and a Tremec six-speed. We started putting it all together. It ended up being a massive Frankenstein project, much more than we expected, and so we turned to a great local shop, Precision Autosports. Jeff and his team there finished the build, and it was well worth the wait on all counts.

So I kept my beautiful triple-black convertible (including fresh paint), and for my driving style, it has a bulletproof drivetrain with all the amenities still included. It's also a unique car now—how many '96s do you know that are running a built Cobra motor? I haven't seen any!

It's always a tough decision, but so long as you make the choice you are happy with, it's the right one.